It’s hard to find another battle of opposites like this matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets. One team has virtually no superstars (especially considering Alperen Sengun is out with an injury), and the other has two of the biggest superstars in the game (Luka and Lebron). The Rockets have some players who may surprise the NBA with how well they can shoot, though. This should catch the attention of DFS players because these guys are cheap, and they can perform.
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets Start Em’
Reed Sheppard (Draft Kings Price 4.2K, FanDuel Price 4.5K)
Reed Sheppard may not be a name on most people’s radars, but the country got a good glimpse of him in the game against the Clippers. Sheppard usually plays a couple of minutes a night, but he was on the court for most of the game against the Clippers, in which he scored 20 while shooting 60% from three. Shooting three points is a big strength for the Rockets in general, but look for Sheppard to shoot from a distance again in this game.
Jalen Green (Draft Kings Price 7.6K, FanDuel Price 7.4K)
With both Fred Van Fleet and Alperen Sengun out, Jalen Green is looking like the next man up for the Rockets. He did only drop five points against the Clippers, but he was only on the floor for 15 minutes. Two games prior against the Thunder, Green dropped 34, so if he is on the floor for a long time, he usually puts up great numbers. Considering the Rockets’ injuries, Green should be on the floor for most of the game, and that should translate into a big performance.
Austin Reeves (Draft Kings Price 8.6K, FanDuel Price 7.7K)
The last time Austin Reeves didn’t score in double figures was at the beginning of March. Since then, he’s been the de facto scoring option for when Luka or Lebron isn’t in a good position. Houston does have a tendency to give up lots of points (they just gave up 134 to the Clippers). That means that Reeves should have plenty of opportunities to shoot three-pointers, and Luka and Lebron don’t necessarily have to win it by themselves.
Lakers vs. Rockets Sit Em’
Jock Landale (Draft Kings Price 3.9K, FanDuel Price 4.1K)
Landale is in a tough position, filling in for Sengun. So far, it looks like opposing teams are exploiting that weakness heavily. After all, Ivica Zubac got his first triple-double while mostly being guarded by Landale. Look for the Lakers to win most of the rebounds in this game; Landale hasn’t gotten double-figure rebounds in his last five games, and now he has to challenge Lebron James and Jaxson Hayes.
Jeff Green (Draft Kings Price 3.2K, FanDuel Price 3.6K)
Yes, Green had a great game against the Clippers, but starting him because of that performance is a red herring. The last time Green scored in double figures was at the end of February. He will also be guarded by a certain individual named Lebron James, who might not let Green score whenever he wants to. It’s great watching Green perform like he did in Boston or Cleveland; it’s just not gonna happen again in this game.
Rui Hachimura (Draft Kings Price 5.3K, FanDuel Price 4.9K)
Hachimura is a tough sell in terms of DFS due to the way the Lakers run their offense. If Luka is open, he’s going to shoot. If the defense guards him well on a pick and roll, Luka kicks out to Austin Reeves, and if neither option works, he can dump the ball down to Lebron. That doesn’t leave too many opportunities for Hachimura to score. That’s why he is only averaging 13 points a game.
Lakers vs. Rockets Lock
Lebron James (Draft Kings Price 10.2K, FanDuel Price 9.3K)
Here is the deal: Alperen Sengun is out, leaving a big hole in the interior defense of the Houston Rockets. Lebron knows this, and he probably won’t have any fear of taking the ball into the post and scoring whenever he feels like it. It’s not like he will do this every possession because he has Luka and Reeves to rely on, but feeding Lebron will be the easiest way for them to score in this game.
Lakers vs. Rockets Fade
Jaxson Hayes (Draft Kings Price 4.1K, FanDuel Price 5.1K)
Looking at Hayes’s recent performance, it’s really hard to find a reason to start him for DFS. Over the last five games, he hasn’t got more than seven points. The fact is it’s tough for Hayes to get the ball whenever Lebron is in the paint. He really needs to be in a strong position to score, so barring that happening, most DFS players should be better off looking for a different center.
